


The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth

by kitchen_sinks



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Fluff, Getting Together, Homophobia, M/M, Phan Fluff, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 06:27:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7673596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitchen_sinks/pseuds/kitchen_sinks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dan is a highschooler who, in typical Dan fashion, procrastinated his assignment until the last minute and has to pull an all-nighter with his project partner Phil.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth

In the dwindling weeks before school let out, Dan was immersed in a storm of last minute papers, presentations, and projects. The month of May was like a final punch in the face before summer holiday, where all Dan wanted to do was close the shutters and play Crash Bandicoot, but instead was sitting in an uncomfortably small school desk cluttered with miscellaneous assignments, pencils, and apparently, chewing gum.

 _Ugh_ , Dan wrinkled his face, disgusted, and wiped his sticky hand on the top of his desk. Secondary School never ceased to amaze him. He rolled his eyes just as the bell rang, and the teacher slipped into the classroom.

“Quiet down now!” she called, and the roar of the class quieted to a dull hum. 

Mrs. Stone was one of those english teachers Dan still hadn’t formed a clear opinion on. He figured he liked her well enough as a person, but as a teacher, her motives were questionable. She was a bit flaky in her habits, ranging from springing pop quizzes on her unsuspecting students to forgetting they had an assignment altogether. Despite this, Dan had to admire her persistence in trying to get him to participate, even though he always declined. She remained insistent that his work did indeed have potential. 

Any potential Dan had was wrapped in a layer of daydreams, procrastination, and Internet, which combined with the onslaught of summer made him tune out of the ramblings of Mrs. Stone and start to doodle in the margins of his notebook. The heat piled on him thickly, making his eyes heavy and increased his inability to concentrate. He looked at the clock. 2:37.  _Fuck._  Of course his worst class was the final period of the day where he could hardly keep his eyes open. Suddenly, a sharp voice brought him back to earth.

“Mr. Howell? Mr. Howell!” It was Mrs. Stone. “I hope you’re daydreaming about the final touches on your project tomorrow,” she chided. 

Dan stared at her quizzically. His head was thick with summer heat. _Did she just say project?_

Mrs. Stone shook her head and smiled, “Now class, I gave you a whole week to prepare for this assignment, I do hope I’ll be seeing some quality work, and that includes from you Mister Howell.” She walked back up to the front of the class, leaving Dan with a twinge of panic coursing through him.  _Certainly she was joking…_  he thought. But the more he thought about it, the more he began to remember.

He was fucked. 

 _HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN THIS MOTHERFUCKING PROJECT_ , he roared at himself internally. Trying to remain calm, he frantically flipped through his notebook looking for an explanatory paper, a due date, anything. Stuffed between the sheets was a crumpled paper, and Dan’s heart sunk as he read over the description of the project he had completely forgotten. 

 _Each student must craft a well written, thought provoking essay discussing our class text Hamlet. This will cover in depth analysis of the characters, placing the text in historical context (this requires CREDIBLE research), and significance in modern day society. This then must be partnered with a creative and visually appealing powerpoint presentation which will be presented to the class. Students will be paired into groups of two, and will begin presentations Friday, May 22nd_.

Panic began to swell within him as he processed the amount of work this was going to take.  _I’m going to have to stay up all night working on this shit assignment_ , he thought resentfully. 

He read over the paper again, the final sentence catching his eye. “Students will be paired into groups of two…” Dan felt a flicker of hope, wondering if maybe, his partner had begun the project without him. He vaguely recollected being assigned to work with the black-haired boy in the front of the class, Pete, or Paul, or something. They hadn’t really spoken before about anything, much less the project, so maybe he’d figured Dan was some slacker and started without him. This hope kept him going throughout the rest of the class until at long last, the bell rang.

“I’ll see you all tomorrow!” called Mrs. Stone through the chatter of students. “I’m very excited to see your work!”

 _I’m sure you are you old bat_ , Dan thought bitterly. He hurried out the door and camped outside in the hallway, attempting in vain to come up with an excuse as to why he hadn’t done his share of the project. It was a shitty thing to do, he knew, but Dan also knew if he wanted to pass the class, he’d need his partner to be sympathetic enough to help him out.

He watched as the boy came out the door, backpack slung over one shoulder and notebook in hand. He stopped and looked around for a moment until his eyes focused on Dan, and he began to walk towards him. Dan braced himself for the 3rd degree, which granted, he knew he deserved, but still didn’t want to hear. At least the kid would have the project done… he hoped.

“Hey,” he said to Dan. 

“Hey…” said Dan hesitantly. He glanced at the boy’s notebook, where blotched in messy ink were the words “ _Phil Lester_.” Phil. So that was his name.

“Look… Phil…” Dan rubbed his arm and awkwardly tried to phrase what he meant to say. He considered lying, as it probably would have been easier than admitting he’d simply forgotten the entire project, but he figured he at least owed Phil the truth. 

“Phil,” he began, “I forgot about this entire project and I’m really, really sorry. Is there anything you need me to do to help finish it up tonight? I know you probably think I’m a huge slacker and you’re definitely right, but I just want to help all I can before it’s due tomorrow.” He felt like a total asshole, begging his partner to forgive him and not tell Mrs. Stone he didn’t do his share. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked up uncomfortably at Phil, who met him with a blank stare.  _Oh boy_.

Phil pinched the bridge of his nose and flicked his icy blue eyes back to Dan. “Well,” he sighed. “I can’t blame you Dan.”

Dan felt a wave of hope course through him, but it was cut short when Phil spoke again.

“Dan, I can’t blame you because… well…” he sighed again and looked back at him sheepishly. “I didn’t do the project either.”

 _Fuck_. 

Dan felt his heart sink. He put his face in his hands and moaned. “ _Shit_.”

Phil smiled awkwardly. “Well…” He patted Dan on the shoulder. “At least you don’t have to feel bad about not doing the project! Neither of us did!”

Dan groaned even harder, the gravity of the situation suddenly hitting him full force. “My parents are going to murder me! How am I supposed to explain how my grades went from passable to abominable literally overnight?!”

“Dan, look,” Phil interrupted. “We still have all of tonight to work on this project and get as much done as we can, we shouldn’t let that go to waste!”

“Phil, we’re going to have to stay up all night to finish this shit assignment  _and_ come into class to present it for an oral grade. It’s too much work.”

“Look.” Phil grasped him by the shoulders and Dan was suddenly transfixed by his bright blue eyes. “We got ourselves into this mess Dan, we’ve at least got to give it a shot.”

Dan nodded, temporarily stunned by Phil’s sudden determination. 

“Yeah okay,” he mumbled. “Let’s go to my house then. Get your shit, we’re gonna be there awhile.”

x

3:30 PM 

Phil wasn’t quite sure what to make of Dan’s room. On one hand it seemed a bit trendy and modern, with only black, white, and grey tones, and a string of fairy lights decorating his headboard. On the other hand, mixed in with this were oddities like a tetris lamp and a giant stuffed Totoro. He ran his fingers over Totoro’s plushy sheen and decided that maybe he was in no place to judge, seeing as he practically had a shrine to Buffy the Vampire Slayer in his bedroom. Still though, Dan was a rather peculiar teenager.

“Alright,” said Dan, snapping Phil’s attention back. He dropped his backpack on the floor with a resounding  _thunk_. “Of course this project is about  _Hamlet_ , the most overdone required reading ever made, so that helps. The shit part is that we still have to do in depth analysis, research, make a visual slide show, and prepare oral notes, so we’re still pretty fucked.” He flopped down on the bedspread and covered his face in a pillow.

“Are you always like this?” Phil practically laughed.

Dan threw a pillow at him. “Only with my no good, project-forgetting partner. Now enough time-wasting, we have to divvy up the work”

Phil rolled his eyes but smiled anyways.

x

5:43 PM

The project had been split into chunks, with Phil doing the research and assembling the powerpoint while Dan analyzed the characters and brainstormed modern day significance. 

Needless to say Dan found a way to procrastinate.

 _Maybe I’ll just check Tumblr for one moment before I move on_ , he thought. His fatal mistake, he knew, was assuming that once he logged onto Tumblr he could log off. Soon enough he had abandoned Shakespeare and was coasting through his dash, scrolling and scrolling until he accidentally laughed at a post, drawing Phil’s attention.

“What’s so funny?” asked Phil, craning his neck to see Dan’s laptop. “Did Shakespeare make another sexual innuendo?”

“No,” said Dan far too quickly. He tried to shut his laptop screen but it was too late, Phil had already saw.

“DAN!” cried Phil. “What are you doing? Are you not aware this is due  _tonight_?” This isn’t just your grade, it’s mine too.”

“I know,” Dan sighed. He looked back at him apologetically and saw Phil’s nose was all scrunched up in an attempt to look angry. He reminded Dan of a small, exasperated child. It was adorable.

 _WOah there brain take it down a notch_. Dan briefly wondered where that thought had come from so suddenly and unexpectedly. He was so taken aback he didn’t notice Phil cracking open his laptop and opening his Tumblr page again. 

“HA!” cried Phil. “As punishment for your procrastination I now have your Tumblr url! And I  _will_  follow you Dan Howell, and scour your blog for all it’s dirty secrets!”

“Suit yourself,” snorted Dan. All Phil was really in for was a series of nonsensical posts and memes. It was ridiculous. The thought made him grin more than he was willing to admit.

x

7:30 PM

There was a knock on the door.

Phil looked up from his computer to see a middle aged woman who looked remarkably like Dan step into the room. She had the same dark, straightened hair, skinny limbs, and chocolate brown eyes.

“Hi mum,” said Dan, barely looking up from his computer. 

“Dinner’s about ready, want to come to the table?” She looked at Phil, who felt himself blush under her gaze. “Dan, who’s your friend? Is he staying for dinner?”

“That’s Phil. We’re working on an English project together. He’ll probably be staying the night so we can finish up, it’s going to take a while,” said Dan.  _Staying the night?_  Phil hadn’t quite processed that in order to make this work, he’d have to stay here, late into the night, alone with Dan, a boy he barely knew. The thought made his face burn all the more. 

Mrs. Howell shook her head. “You boys and your projects! I swear, that school is getting more and more demanding by the day, and you don’t help my procrastinating your work,” she scolded. She looked at Phil. “You look like a smart boy, Phil, surely you’ll help my son learn how to put homework first and videogames second.”

Dan rolled his eyes. “MUM I get it okay? You’re embarrassing me.”

Phil snickered and Dan shot him a glare. Mrs. Howell simply smiled and walked back into the kitchen, returning with two steaming pasta plates. “One for you,” she said smiling at Phil. She set his plate down and walked over to Dan. “And one for my sweet, lovely, hardworking son,” she teased as she planted a kiss on his head.

“MUM!” Dan cried, exasperated.

Mrs. Howell laughed and began to head out. “Good luck on that project boys! Phil dear if you need anything don’t hesitate to ask.”

When she was gone, Dan threw another pillow at him while he continued to snicker. He had just met Mrs. Howell but he already knew he liked her.

x

10:02 PM

Dan stood up on the bed and stretched, back cracking as he twisted and shook out his cramped limbs. They had been working for hours and he could feel his brain beginning to short circuit.

“I think we deserve a break,” Dan declared, jumping off the bed. “My ass is so numb I can’t concentrate anymore.”

Phil chuckled and stretched out on the floor. “Alright,” he agreed. “My brain is pretty fried anyways.” He stretched his arms out towards the ceiling and Dan could see a peek of his stomach from where his shirt pulled up. His skin was delicate and pale, but it looked soft to the touch, and for a moment, he had to resist the urge to reach out and run his hands down Phil’s torso.  _What the hell Dan? What’s wrong with you?_  He shook his head, as if to banish the thought from his mind.  _Your brain is definitely fried Howell_ , he thought uneasily, but part of him wondered if that was really why.

Phil stood up and began to walk around the room, shaking Dan out of his trance. “I figure we’ve got about a half an hour before we ought to get back to work,” he glanced up at Dan. “What would you like to do?”

“Umm… we could play Mario Kart?” Dan suggested awkwardly.  _Wow Howell, real smooth,_  he thought. Sometimes he had to remind himself that not everyone was as much of a nerd as he was, but to his delight, Phil turned and gave him a devilish grin.

“Oh Dan,” he smirked. “I don’t think you want to challenge me unless you’re prepared for complete domination.”

“Really?” Dan said, suddenly cocky. “We’ll see about that.”

Moments later they were both cross-legged sitting round Dan’s little TV in the corner of his room yelling at the screen.

“PLEASE do not tell me you’re that asshole who picks rainbow road,” groaned Dan.

Phil laughed, “You know me too well already.”

Dan rolled his eyes but smiled anyways. It felt so good to put Shakespeare aside after hours of laborious notes and planning and focus on something else, and damn, did he actually have to focus. Phil was  _way_  better than he had anticipated, and for once, he was struggling to keep the lead. 

“SABOTAGE!” Phil cried, shoving at Dan and his controller just as he was turning down the sparkling rainbow track. Dan’s character, Luigi, slipped off the edge and plummeted off the cliff.

“Cheater!” Dan exclaimed, giving Phil a push. They were both giggling so hard from trying to overthrow one another Phil had to pause the game to wipe tears from his eyes.

“I should have known anyone who picks  _Birdo_  as their driver can’t be trusted,” Dan said, eyes snapping back to the screen.

In the final lap, they chased each other down the track in looping arcs while bumping each others arms in lame attempts to distract the other, all the while laughing hysterically. Dan was keeping the lead but in the final stretch, slipped on a single damned banana peel left in the dead center of the track. Phil sped ahead and crossed the finish line moments before him.

“OOOOO!” He shouted. “I told you I would win Dan!”

Dan gave him an amused look and brushed his hair out of his eyes. He looked at the clock.  _10:27_. 

Phil looked up at him sheepishly, to corners of his mouth up turning into a small smile. “Maybe we could… play one more game?” he asked, an endearing plea in his voice.

Dan bit his lip and looked at the clock again, dreading going back to Mrs. Stone’s horrifying project, and Phil was staring at him with his big, pleading blue eyes and  _oh what the hell. I can’t say no to that_.

“Sure,” he said, turning his controller back on. This time, he grinned, he wouldn’t let Phil win.

x

1:17 AM

Phil could feel himself fading. Once the clock had struck twelve the words on his computer screen began blurring together, and comprehending the research he’d gathered was becoming harder and harder. He took off his thick, black framed glasses and rubbed his tired eyes. In the corner, he could see Dan yawning in a persistent struggle to stay awake. He looked much more youthful in his sleepiness, and he reminded Phil of a small child wrapped a pile of blankets, desperately trying to stay up past bedtime. It made his chest feel warm and flush with affection for Dan. He didn’t know he was staring until Dan flicked his gaze back at him.

“What?” he asked. “Everything alright on your end?”

“Um…yeah.. yeah.” he rambled. “I was just thinking that… we definitely need some caffeine. I’m getting really tired and as much as I  _love_  this project, Shakespeare alone isn’t enough to fuel me through the rest of this night.”

“You’re absolutely right Phil,” said Dan, snapping his laptop shut. “Coffee is exactly what we need. Here, we can go to the kitchen and make a pot, just be careful not to wake up my parents or my brother.”

They tiptoed out of the room down the winding hallway that let out into a pristine white kitchen. Phil pulled out a dark wooden stool and sat at the counter while Dan opened the cupboard and pulled out the coffee brewer, a jumble of cords and contraptions spilling onto the smooth granite surface.

“Any particular flavor you’d like?” he asked. 

“I don’t really drink coffee so I wouldn’t know,” Phil admitted. Dan stared at him in disbelief.

“How could you function in school for so long?” he asked quizzically.

Phil only shrugged, too tired to think of an adequate response.

“Well don’t worry, as a chronic procrastinator and internet dweller, I’ve come pretty accustomed to drinking coffee, you’re in good hands.”

He selected a half empty bag and poured the beans into the machine, which began to hum and whirr methodically. The air was flooded with the rich scent of ground coffee beans and Phil closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There was something calming about the atmosphere of Dan’s kitchen, so empty and quiet in the late hours of the night. His presence was comforting, and reminded Phil he wasn’t quite alone either. It was strange, but a part of him felt like he’d known Dan for much longer than he had. 

A sudden sharp beeping caught his attention as Dan rushed to turn off the machine before it made too much noise and alerted his mum that they were still awake. He grabbed two mugs from the cabinet and poured two steaming cups of the dark liquid, but only half full.

“In my experience,” he said, taking a sip of the steaming liquid. “This has been the most effective at keeping me awake. Apparently it’s specially imported from this obscure area of South America for ‘certified freshness and caffeination’ or some bullshit, at least I think that’s what my mum said to me.” 

Phil took a small sip and grimaced at the sharp and bitter taste. Dan chuckled.

“I could tell you’re not a frequent coffee drinker, don’t worry, it’s about to get worse.” He walked over to the fridge and threw open the door. After rummaging around for a bit, he emerged with two tall, gleaming cans of Red Bulls. 

Phil put two and two together. “Dan,” he said cautiously, “I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is no.”

“Phil trust me,” he soothed in that charming voice of his.  _Damn him for being so articulate!_  Phil scowled. 

“Dan there’s no way in hell I’m mixing a Red Bull and this mystery South American coffee. What if we die or something? Like my heart starts pumping way too fast from a caffeination overdose and then we’ll never get our project turned in!” He crossed his arms, attempting to look stern, but failed when Dan laid a hand on his shoulder. His resolve crumbled and he leaned into Dan’s grip without meaning to.

Phil sighed, “I just don’t want to  _do_  this anymore,” he groaned, putting his face in his hands. He could feel the pressure of Dan’s fingertips rubbing his shoulder, and suddenly, he felt more awake than he had all night.

“I know,” Dan consoled, “but I promise you, this shit is like adrenaline straight to the heart, all we have to do is stay awake long enough to get through tonight and then, it’s smooth sailing.”

He cracked open a can and held it out coaxingly to Phil, tempting him to mix this surely dire and disgusting concoction in the name of saving their grade. Phil looked at him hesitantly.

“Okay…” he agreed. “But if I do anything weird after I take this, it’s on you.” 

He was only half joking when he said that.

Dan cracked the other Red Bull can and topped off the coffees until they were filled to the brim.

“I don’t understand why we can’t just drink them separately,” grumbled Phil, wrinkling his nose at the repulsive mixture.

“Believe me, I’ve tried, it’s more effective this way,” Dan assured. He gave him a sympathetic smile. “Bottoms up,” he said, tipping over his mug and pouring in the dark and frothing liquid. Phil took a sip and choked.

“Keep drinking!” Dan encouraged, tipping back Phil’s glass for him as he chugged the most vile, cold yet also hot mixture he’d ever tasted. When he was done he ran to the sink and rinsed out his mouth, water dribbling down his chin and all over the front of his shirt. Dan’s mouth was twisted up in a grimace as he tossed Phil a piece of Spearmint gum. He accepted gratefully and began chewing vigorously.

After a few minutes of silent chewing, Dan spit out his gum into the waste basket. 

“And now,” he said, “We wait.”

Phil prayed that this hadn’t been a huge mistake. 

x

3:45 AM

Whenever Dan stayed up late into the night, he knew that inevitably, he would get weird. Whether it be sleep deprivation, the unholy mixture of his imported coffee and Red Bull, or a combination of the two, Dan could feel his mind begin to wander.

He glanced down at Phil, who was on the floor typing quickly. His eyes were wide and bloodshot, but they were still his eyes; bright blue pools framed with dark eyelashes, immersed in the bibliography he was drafting. Dan never really noted how  _pretty_  Phil was until now. His skin was pale and smooth and Dan watched as it crinkled when he was deep in thought. He had long, slender fingers that he used to brush a few dark hairs off his face that kept falling in his eyes. Compulsively, Dan reached his hand off the bed and brushed across Phil’s fringe, sweeping it back into place.

Phil redirecting his piercing gaze at Dan who held his hand there for a moment, until he quickly whisked it away, mumbling about a stray hair. He looked at the floor, unable to meet Phil’s gaze.

Phil just smirked, “If you want a break Dan just ask, we’ve been working pretty hard.”

Dan sighed, rolling facedown into his pillow. The fluffy bedding felt so soft and comforting he wanted to drift off right there and then, but there was still work to be done.

Phil smacked him with a pillow. “Wake up sleepyhead!” he said in a singsong voice. He was far too cheerful for having been up this long. Dan grunted and curled into a ball.

“Noooooooo,” he whined through the pillow. His voice sounded muffled and far away.

“Yesssssss!” Phil hissed back. He hit him with a pillow again.

“How are you so cheerful at this hour?” Dan scowled burying himself in his duvet.

“Well you were definitely right, whatever you gave me, while disgusting, did fuel me with the energy of 5,000 suns.” He shook Dan and pulled off his duvet. “Wake up sunshine!”

Dan tried to be angry but couldn’t, “I hate you,” he groaned halfheartedly. He grabbed Phil’s arm in an attempt to take back his duvet but Phil drew back, pulling them both off the bed.

“Give it back!” Dan was laughing, fighting on the floor with Phil for his blankets. He had fallen on top of Phil and was inches from his face, giggling like a maniac and trying to wrestle away the duvet. Finally, Phil gave up.

“Okay!” He surrendered, raising his arms above his head. “You win Dan! You win!”

Dan lay there for a moment, awash in his petty victory until he realized what a compromising position he was in.

“Sorry,” he mumbled as he awkwardly rolled off Phil’s body and onto the floor beside him.

“It’s okay,” said Phil. He turned on his side so he and Dan were facing each other. “Here, we can share.”

A red tinge creeped up Dan’s neck and into his cheeks. “Okay,” he said drawing the covers over both of them. The blanket was warm and made Dan’s eyes heavy, the only thing keeping him awake was the slightest sensation of Phil’s arm brushing against his. 

“It’s so weird,” said Phil suddenly, cutting through the silence, “That before yesterday, I barely knew you, and now, here we are.”

Dan giggled, “You still barely know me,” he added, “You know I hate Mrs. Stone’s english projects and that I do everything last minute, that’s it.”

“Well then Dan,” he said, resting his cheek on his fist and looking him in the eyes, “Tell me about yourself then. How about I ask you 5 questions about yourself, and then you get to ask 5 questions about me. Fair trade?”

Dan nodded, “Sounds fair.”

“Great, then we’ll be the best english partners ever,” he said with a sarcastic smile. Dan punched him in the arm.

“Okay, okay. We’ll start out easy. What’s your favorite food?”

“Maltesers hands down,” answered Dan immediately. “I could basically survive off of those if I had to.”

“Wow,” said Phil seriously, “I’ll keep than in mind then. Okay, do you smoke?”

“No! Why do I look like a smoker?”

Phil shrugged, “You could be if you wanted to, you seem a bit like someone who would.”

“How so?” Asked Dan, amused.

Phil rubbed the back of his head, “Oh I don’t know, mysterious brooding boy, wears mostly all black, before we met I had you pegged for a chain smoker.”

Dan turned towards him, perplexed, “You thought I was mysterious? And  _brooding_?”

Phil laughed, “Well yeah! It seems pretty stupid now that I’m here and see you’re just a Mario Kart playing nerd.” He jabbed him in the side with each syllable and Dan squirmed away.

“Okay next question is very very serious,” he looked at Dan intently. “Link or Luigi?”

“Pft, Luigi all the way, Luigi is awesome.”

“Not awesome enough to beat Birdo!” Phil jabbed.

Dan rolled his eyes, “I beat you in the second round! I let you win the first time because I was being a good friend.”

Phil poked him in the belly, “So we’re friends now, huh?”

“I don’t think you  _can_  not be friends with someone after staying up all night with them finishing a project. It’s like when Harry, Ron and Hermione all battled the troll together in the bathroom, ‘there are some things you can’t share without ending up liking each other.’”

Phil laughed, “Very true. So not only are you a Mario nerd, but a huge Harry Potter nerd as well. Good to know.” He rolled a bit closer to Dan. The air between them was warm and filled with Phil’s sweet breath that smelled vaguely of cinnamon and coffee. His face was close enough that Dan could see a tiny freckle on his right cheek.

When he spoke again, his voice was quiet, as if he didn’t want to wake anyone in the house. “What’s your middle name?”

Dan swallowed thickly, “James,” he whispered faintly.

“Daniel James Howell,” Phil smirked. “I like that name, very dapper.” He touched his fingers lightly on Dan’s side, ghosting along his hip bone. Dan shivered beneath his touch.

“Last question,” he said flicking his icy blue eyes back up towards Dan. He paused for a moment, silent.

“Do you like boys Dan?” he breathed, barely above a whisper. He leaned in closer until their chests were touching, and his pale smooth skin caressed over Dan’s. His thin pink lips were mere centimeters away.

Dan felt his heart catch in his chest. He didn’t know what to think.

x

4:03 AM

Phil had always known he was bi. From the moment he was a small child he’d appreciated the beauty of women and men alike, and he could say with complete certainty-

Dan was beautiful.

From the way his nose sloped in a perfect arc to his sarcastic smile, to his bright brown eyes, that even when stamped with dark circles underneath still melted like a pool of chocolate. 

He was beautiful, and Phil knew it, had known it, and didn’t want to hide it.

So when he’d leaned into Dan, sweetly asking, “Do you like boys, Dan?” he was scared. Scared because he knew, like the other boys before him, this was often met with jeers, cruelty, and even abuse because “ _No I’m not gay! Are you some kind of fag or something?_ ” He cringed for a moment, flush in memories. 

When he’d asked Dan, maybe from his crazy Red Bull energy, maybe due to the fact it was four in the morning, maybe because he was so tired of dancing around the fact that he liked Dan. That lanky boy in the back of the class doodling in a notebook had always managed to catch Phil’s eye, and tonight, it it’s own warped way, had been somewhat of a gift.

Dan’s warm chocolate eyes bore back into his as he looked up and said in a hushed tone, “I don’t know Phil…”

He bit his lip and leaned in even closer. “But I think… I think I’d like to find out.”

x

4:03 AM

Time was frozen. Dan’s heart beat loudly in his chest.  _Thump thump thump_. It quickened even more when he saw Phil’s beautiful blue eyes light up and his face dip inwards toward his own, trying to contain a massive grin.

x

4:03 AM

Phil could feel Dan’s fingers reach for his chest as he placed them lightly on his torso, gently skimming up and down the soft fabric. He closed his eyes and leaned in towards Phil, whose outstretched hand cupped his face and brushed his fringe aside. Closing his own eyes, he leaned into Dan and pressed his lips gently against his.

x

4:03 AM

Dan considered himself a rather articulate person, but at the moment, the only thing he could think was more of a completely incoherent “ _ASDFGHJKL_.” It was like someone had smashed all the keys of his mind’s inner keyboard. Kissing Phil felt like fire, a slow soft burn that traveled all the way down his spine to his fingertips and short circuited his brain. He figured it was safe to say that yes, he did like boys. 

x

4:03 AM

Kissing Dan felt like summer rain. A little wet, sure, but all around, encased him in a warm envelope of heat and comfortability. He tried to contain his grin but it burst through in between kisses, making Dan smile back at him and sigh contentedly. “I never did get to ask  _my_  five questions,” he said in between breaths.

x

4:04 AM

Dan had rolled over and entangled his limbs with Phil, who could feel the rhythmic beat of his heart pressed up against his own chest. Dan’s face was buried in his neck, breathing deep and slow as his eyes drifted shut, and Phil could feel his own eyes begin to close. Any remaining caffeine energy had been expended in all of 60 seconds, and he wondered vaguely  if he could take just a quick nap before he roused Dan to work on the project again. He was so warm, and so filled with happiness, he wrapped himself further in Dan before quickly drifting off.

x

5:52 AM

“Dan,” a voice called to him through a haze of sleep. “Dan wake up.”

Dan cracked open his eyes and saw Phil sitting cross legged beside him and he briefly wondered what was happening, but then all at once, he remembered. 

“Hey there,” he murmured, rubbing his bleary eyes. “What time is it?”

Phil cupped his face and smiled, but then gave him a worried look. “It’s almost six Dan, we fell asleep after… that, and we’re still not finished with the presentation.”

To be honest the presentation seemed a bit insignificant after what had transpired earlier that morning, but Dan had to remember that that project was what brought them together in the first place.

“Shit,” he mumbled, stretching out his arms. “How much do we have left to do?”

“Not a whole lot, I reckon if we get started now we can put the finishing touches on the slideshow, run through our oral presentation once or twice, and still have time for coffee.” He smiled at Dan. “No Red Bull mixture this time though.”

Dan smiled back, his eyes taking in this boy, a boy whose name he hadn’t even known 24 hours ago, and he felt his heart lighten. He could take on this workload. He could take on anything.

“Sure,” he beamed, “No Red Bull.”

x

2:25 PM

Phil swiveled in his chair and gave Dan a weary smile from the front of the class. He could see Dan’s rumpled exterior, with tousled hair that stuck up in weird spots and his disheveled clothes that he’d hastily changed into before they left. He himself was borrowing an outfit from Dan upon the insistence of Mrs. Howell, who said she “would be a terrible hostess had she forced Phil to wear his clothes from the day before to school.”

Dan returned the smile, tired eyes still beaming at him like he was the only one in the room. It was adorable, and this time, he felt no shame in these thoughts. 

Mrs. Stone’s sharp voice brought him back, calling “Dan and Phil? You’re up next.”  _Dan and Phil_. The words coupled together naturally like two things that should be together, not one without the other. In synchronized motion they stood up, loaded their slides, and launched into their presentation. Whenever Dan wasn’t looking, Phil snuck devious glances at him, and he had the lingering suspicion that Dan was doing the same. 

When Dan concluded, expertly contrasting the play with modern day characters and literature, Phil looked up and saw Mrs. Stone beaming at them. 

“Nice work boys,” she said, taking copious notes on her grading sheet. “It’s clear you did your research.”

Phil stifled a giggle and looked sideways at Dan, who’s tired, bloodshot eyes settled on his.

“Mrs. Stone, you have no idea,” he said, as Phil burst out laughing.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my tumblr at danhowells-movingcastle for just as much phan and double the memes


End file.
